Immortality Starts With Investment

”Time to give gifts!”

Another week had passed, and it was gift-giving day again. Ye Chen patted the sleeping Caidie and Yun Qianyue beside him. ”Wake up, you two. Head back to Divine Will Sect and focus on your cultivation!”

The two women stirred, their gazes toward Ye Chen filled with awe and delight. Caidie, delicate and graceful, leaned against Ye Chen’s back, massaging his shoulders like a clinging bird. ”Senior Ye, I don’t want to return to Divine Will Sect. I just want to stay by your side.”

Yun Qianyue, equally quick to serve, echoed the sentiment.

They weren’t just flattering him. Being around Ye Chen was genuinely incredible. The pills he casually gifted them surpassed what Divine Will Sect provided to its inner disciples.

More importantly, when they were with him, he never drained their vitality. Instead, he granted them tremendous opportunities, propelling their cultivation forward by leaps and bounds. They’d saved at least a year of grueling effort and were now at the peak of the ninth layer of Qi Refining, ready to break through to Foundation Establishment at any moment.

Seeing their infatuated looks, like cats high on catnip, Ye Chen felt almost like he was the one being used. He chuckled and handed each of them two top-grade Foundation Establishment Pills. ”Talk to me after you break through to Foundation Establishment.”

Qi Refining cultivators no longer qualified to be his maids.

Staring at the top-grade Foundation Establishment Pills, the women’s mouths fell open even wider. Top-grade pills?

At Divine Will Sect, only the top inner disciple received a high-grade Foundation Establishment Pill, and the top ten in the annual competition got a mere low-grade one. The competition was fierce, and neither woman had much hope of winning one. Yet Senior Ye had casually given each of them two?

At his words, they nodded eagerly. After breaking through to Foundation Establishment, they’d return to his side. Divine Will Sect? They could do without it.

After sending the two off, Ye Chen stretched lazily, ready to hit the streets and find a lucky recipient for the Phoenix Stone. He wanted to test if a reclaimed gift could still trigger rewards.

Foundation Establishment peak cultivators weren’t abundant in Divine Will City, but they weren’t rare either. Finding a suitable female cultivator for feedback shouldn’t be hard.

But just as he stepped out of the courtyard, a graceful figure approached from afar. Her unique immortal aura told him instantly who it was—An Miaoli.

Why was she alone?

”Senior An…” Ye Chen greeted with a smile.

An Miaoli shook her head. ”No need to call me senior anymore.”

Too formal, huh? Ye Chen thought for a moment before saying earnestly, ”Auntie!”

An Miaoli: ”???”

Her composure, honed by years of cultivation, kept her from twitching. She spoke calmly, ”Now that Fellow Daoist Ye has reached the Golden Core stage, we should address each other as peers.”

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Ye Chen shook his head immediately. ”Even if I’ve broken through to Golden Core, a senior is still a senior!”

Calling her anything else just wouldn’t feel right.

An Miaoli didn’t dwell on the matter of titles. Hearing that Ye Chen was about to head out, she decided against entering the courtyard to sit. Instead, she walked with him along the street, pulling a jade slip from her storage ring and handing it to him.

”This contains the insights of a third-grade spiritual plant master,” she said. ”You’ve helped Yuyi so much, and she’s deeply grateful. When she heard you were back, she wanted to come herself, but she’s in seclusion for her cultivation, so she asked me to deliver this to you.”

An Miaoli spoke earnestly, making it clear the gift was from An Yuyi to avoid any misunderstandings.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. Though she said it was from An Yuyi, he was certain An Miaoli had acquired it herself. Still, the item was useful to him, so he accepted it without hesitation, thanking her with a smile.

Seeing him take it, An Miaoli nodded with satisfaction. ”In that case, I’ll be on my way.”

The street bustled with cultivators coming and going. Many recognized her, and though no one would question her actions, it felt inappropriate to be seen walking with Ye Chen, the man her niece admired.

But Ye Chen quickly spoke up. ”I was just heading out to buy a gift for Yuyi to congratulate her on her Golden Core breakthrough. Since you’re here, Senior, why not join me? As Yuyi’s aunt, you know her best and could help me choose something.”

An Miaoli hesitated but eventually nodded. Walking alone with Ye Chen might be improper, but shopping for a gift for her niece was acceptable.

So, she agreed, and the two walked side by side. Onlookers cast surprised glances. One was the Grand Elder of Divine Will Sect, the other the champion of the Divine Will Assembly, now a Golden Core cultivator. Both were renowned figures. Ordinary cultivators bowed from a distance and gave them a wide berth.

”Senior An,” Ye Chen said as they walked, ”I’m curious about True Immortal chronicles and the customs of the cultivation world. Does Divine Will Sect’s library have such books? Could I borrow some?”

He wasn’t interested in cultivation manuals, but books on history and culture intrigued him. As a transmigrator, they helped him understand this world better. Green Cloud Sect’s library was limited, but Divine Will Sect, with its eight-thousand-year legacy, surely had an extensive collection.

An Miaoli considered for a moment before responding, ”The sect’s scripture pavilion does have many jade slips on such topics, but like cultivation techniques, they’re restricted. Non-sect members can’t access them, and many are reserved for elders only. I’ll see if I can find a way to make an exception.”

Ye Chen nodded in thanks. Senior An was a principled person. If she said she’d try, she’d likely succeed. This could help him uncover more about his five-colored Golden Core.

They continued chatting casually, sharing cultivation insights, and soon arrived at Heavenly Evolution Pavilion. The same steward as before greeted Ye Chen warmly. ”What do the two guests need today?”

Ye Chen got straight to the point. ”I’m looking for a gift suitable for a female Golden Core cultivator.”

The steward raised an eyebrow, glancing at An Miaoli, whom he recognized as Divine Will Sect’s Grand Elder.

Noticing his look, An Miaoli said calmly, ”The gift is for my junior.”

The steward smiled, inviting them to a private room and asking them to wait briefly. Soon, he returned with a jade box, placing it before them and opening it carefully.

”This is a pair of earrings crafted by a direct disciple of Heavenly Evolution Holy Land a few years ago. It’s a top-grade spiritual artifact, made primarily from mutton-fat white jade gold, which nurtures a female cultivator’s body. It’s engraved with six spells, each with profound effects, and its appearance is flawless. The disciple named it ’Fairy’s Tears.’ Since it was crafted by a direct disciple and surpasses ordinary spiritual artifacts in every way, the price is a bit steep—40,000 high-grade spirit stones.”

The steward explained earnestly.

Ye Chen, with his keen eye, could tell the item was exceptional, nearly perfect for a spiritual artifact. The craftsman was undoubtedly a third-grade master at the peak of their skill. For a direct disciple to be this talented, Heavenly Evolution Holy Land lived up to its reputation.

The Fairy’s Tears earrings exuded an immortal charm, perfectly matching An Miaoli’s aura.

As he considered, Ye Chen turned to her. ”Since Yuyi isn’t here, could you try them on, Senior? To see if they suit her?”